News

This week we received our first order for 25+ patterns to be printed! This seems like a super fun way to start the year with a full library of new patterns to work on.  Our top three patterns are all for our upcoming January workshops.  

We’re constantly discovering new indie PDF sewing patterns through your A0 Wide Format print orders. Every time we load up the printer, we spot designs that spark ideas and connect us with creative makers around the world. Here are a few that caught our eye recently, maybe they’ll inspire your next make too.

You asked, we listened. Printing sewing patterns at home is frustrating - trimming, taping, scaling issues, and endless paper waste. That’s why the workroom now offers wide-format A0 printing for PDF patterns. Your pattern arrives full size, no prep required, just cut and sew.

We're making plans to welcome everyone, from everywhere, up to the workroom for our Fall Maker Market and 18 Year Anniversary Celebration on Saturday October 4, 2025, 11am-4pm!  

This Sewing Machine Essentials ebook is the culmination of everything we've taught in that class for almost two decades. Inside, you’ll find:

+ Step-by-step guides to understand your sewing machine’s anatomy
+ Clear threading instructions with diagrams so you never feel lost
+ Tension troubleshooting tips to finally demystify this essential setting
+ TRY IT prompts to build hands-on confidence as you go
+ Pro tips from years of teaching to make sewing feel approachable and joyful

Just a quick note to let you know we're keeping a close eye on the potential Canada Post strike to ensure your orders still get to you without delay.

We have already started using our alternate courier services to keep things running smoothly for you. Please note that we will not be able to ship to PO Boxes in the meantime. 

We just created a special new bundle - Vintage Seed Cabinet. This Kona bundle was pulled straight from the front window, literally. Inspired by the antique green cabinet, which is still covered in old seed packet and hardware labels, this palette is a love letter to timeworn beauty.

As a small, woman-owned, Canadian business, supporting other small, women-owned, Canadian businesses is at the heart of what we do at the workroom.

From sewing patterns designed in Montreal to embroidery kits stitched in Nova Scotia, publications conjured in Calgary, and dye kits grown right here in Toronto, we love bringing you beautifully made, thoughtfully designed products from across Canada. We've made it easier than ever to spot these Canadian makers with a special flag as you scroll through our site.

We're making plans to welcome everyone, from everywhere, up to the workroom for our Spring Maker Market and Half Birthday Celebration on Saturday April 12, 2025, 12-5pm!  

Join us for our first mid week Handmade Getaway Wednesday May 7 -  Friday May 9 in Sprucedale and spend some dedicated sewing time in the second floor studio of our Historic General Store.

Back in 2013, my friend Paul of Smash Salvage asked me if I would be interested in checking out some boxes of vintage buttons he had just bought. I was curious and when I went by his shop, I was pretty overwhelmed to see over 30 large moving boxes filled with smaller boxes of buttons. As I peeked under a few lids, I gasped to see beautiful coloured glass buttons and some of the most unusual and fun plastic buttons I had ever seen. I knew that if I bought that lot of vintage buttons from Paul, I would NEVER have to worry about sourcing buttons for the workroom ever again. The Button Dept. was born!